Two types of beadwork are especially popular. “Yarn Paintings,” where commercial yarn coated with wax or resin are pressed onto shapes, such as bowls or masks, and then covered with individual beads to form intricate and colorful designs. The other form of beadwork is bright bead weaving designs in shapes that reflect the Huichol’s respect of nature and their religious traditions. Shapes such as flowers, plants, and animals are popular. Czech beads come in a wide variety of colors and finishes. Although traditional Huichol designs typically use opaque beads, it is fun to experiment with these designs using combinations of transparent, metallic and opaque beads. For most of the projects here, you will need:
Small amounts of size 11 Czech seed beads 10 pound FireLine thread Size 11 beading needle (We prefer Tulip brand) Scissors that are good to cut beading thread with.
If you are a visual learner, follow along with this daisy flower picture tutorial. The step by step pictorial includes how to make a beaded chain with leaves to hang your daisy flowers on. Otherwise, follow the step-by-step tutorial, which also includes additional information how to transform the daisy shape into a star shape. Step-by-Step Huichol Daisy Flower Tutorial from Lisa Yang Jewelry The Huichol large flower tutorial we used to make these earrings is primarily visual. The instructions are in Russian, but can easily be translated to English in your browser. There is a similar Huichol flower tutorial that has the advantage of being in English and also has a useful blank bead chart that you can print and then color to plan the bead colors you would like to use. The same site also has a video tutorial, but it is in Spanish. As you can tell from the tutorials, Huichol beadwork is popular all over the world! 3D Huichol Flower Earring Tutorial from Peiote Jewelry When bead netting is done in a continuous strip, it results in a lacy and flexible, yet solid bead fabric. The intricate designs and proliferation of color make these bracelets unique and striking. This bracelet is made from a beading pattern called “Ojo de Dios,” which translates to “Eye of God.” Follow the color diagram in this tutorial to recreate the same pattern. Ojo de Dios (thread paths) from Peiote Jewelry Ojo de Dios (step-by-step instructions) from Peiote Jewelry
